Group-indicator for freight-car systems.



No. 738,911. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903 E. B. JOHNS. GROUP INDICATOR FORFREIGHT GAR SYSTEMS! APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 1902.

8, Jfl 1191 14 fl zExra 36 9121624] 2 o o o o o o 3% 61% (99% 15M w g oM a o o o o g y 21,6 4/ 2 10 15 26 i 2 4 7%. 1092 139i 160i HIIIHHHIIIIIIIIIH HIIIIHI I HHIIIHHIILHII lllll W/TNESSL'S. v INVENTOR 2 m y 0UNITED STATES Patented September 15, 1903.

EDWARD B. JOHNS, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

GROUP-INDICATOR FORFRElGHT-CAR SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 738,911, datedSeptember 15, 1903.

Application filed November 13, 1902. Serial No. 131,158. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. JOHNS, of Nashville,in the county ofDavidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Group-Indicators for Freight- Oar Systems, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The group system of handling merchandise freight is a simple organizedsystem based upon grouping each geographical station ac cording to thestation or city to which cars are loaded to break bulk. In this wayhundreds of stations or cities can be grouped under one head, thus beinga labor-saving system to the receiving clerk in determining the properrouting ofevery shipment. The group system is readily understood and canbe used with excellent results in receiving, billing, loading, andtransferring freight, and by greatly reducing the work of receivingclerks makes it possible for receiving clerks to receive, weigh, route,and load in about the same time that was formerly taken merely todetermine the location for breaking bulk and ascertaining the carinitials and numbers.

Said system by supplying the necessary in formation in compact form notonly saves time and labor, but insures almost absolute correctness andshould any errors be made locates them.

My invention relates to a group-indicator board and attachments for usein such a system; and it consists in certain novel constructions,arrangements, and combinations of parts and instrumentalities, as willbe hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of the board. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of same with a tag attached. Fig. 3 is an elevation ofone of the tags. spective View of one of the tags with pin attached.Fig. 5 is a view of a modified form of tag and pin.

In carrying out my invention I use the group-board K, which has markedon its surface the vertical and horizontal lines :0 and y, formingrectangular spaces L, which are suitably marked with indicatingcharacters M, as shown. This board is used in conjunction with amanuscript record. Every city or point on the railroad, however small,is known Fig. 4 is a perby a particular number; but as hundreds ofrailroad points are grouped together under one number-namely, the numberof the important railroad center. to which freight is loaded forbreaking bulk-there will be no difficulty to arise from the multiplicityof numbers.

The rectangular spaces L are of a particular color'-say redand thecharacters thereon are white, so as to be readily seen at some distance.At the upper central portion of each rectangular space is provided asocket N to receive a pointed pin 0, secured to a metallic tag P. Saidtags are preferably black and have painted on them the numeral orcharacter Q in white. These tags are just sucha size as to cover the redspaces L on board K and are to be taken from said board and attached tothe cars to be used for the days work. Each numeral on the indicatorboard corresponds to the group number of a particular railroad center,and when a tag with its numeral corresponding to the numeral of thespace it covers is taken 0E and placed on a car for loading to thatparticular center the red space immediately flashes the information allover the freight-house that such and such a car is placed for loading.The pointed pin that is attached to the tag serves the double purpose ofholding the tag to its place on the indicator-board and also as a nailto be driven into the side of car While the car is loading. Said pin 0,which is formed at one end with an eye 0, is socured to the .tag in thefollowing manner: Each tag' is provided with a circular opening 13 inits upper central portion and with an open slot or notch 19' in thecenter of its upper edge in vertical alinement with the opening p, andthrough this opening and the slot or notch 19 the eye 0' of pin 0 ispassed, one

side of the eye passing through the opening 19 and the opposite sideresting in the slot or notch 10 in the upper edge of the tag. The eye ofthe pin thus movably secures the pin to the tag and also serves as asort of nailhead, by means of which the pin with the attached tag may bedriven into the side of a freight-car. This eye 0 further serves as ameans wherein a rod of iron or other material may be inserted andleverage exerted to pull the pin from the side of the car when it isdesired to remove the tag from the car and return it to its properposition on the indicatorboard. The numerals on the tags are, as stated,painted white and are placed on both sides of the tags. Each metallictagis marked to correspond with a numeral marked on each of the spaceson the indicator-board K. Now when it is desired to use the indicatorthe board has all its tags fitted to their proper spaces, the cars to beloaded being placed on a switch, and as each car is ready the tags forthe particular group centers .are taken from the board and attached tothe said cars.

The removal of these tags will expose the red spaces they covered andimmediately show that the cars for those particular group centers arebeing loaded. As soon as the cars are loaded the tags are removed fromthe cars and returned to their proper places on the board K. Thus itwill be seen that the indicator furnishes the necessary informationrelating to the working of the freight at all times-that is, it showswhat cars have been loaded, what cars are loading, andthe number of carsrequired, thereby reducing the intercourse between the different men inascertaining such information, and thus lessening the labor of allemployees concerned.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified form of tag and pin. In said form the tagP is provided with a single aperture 19 in its upper central portion,through which the pin 0 is passed. Said pin is threaded at its blunt endand the nuts q and q screwed on the same, the tag being held betweensaid nuts.

Having thus described myinvention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. An indicator comprising a board ortablet marked off in distinguishing colored spaces, each space beingprovided with an indicating character and having a socket Within itsboundary, indicating-tags of a contrasting color and provided with acharacter on each side thereof corresponding with the character on thespace covered by said tags, and pins permanently secured to said tagsand adapted to be inserted and held detachably in the sockets in saidspaces whereby the tags may be secured to the indicator-board to coverthe spaces thereon, and also removed therefrom for attachment to a car.

2. An indicator for freight-car systems comprising a board or tabletdivided by lines into spaces, each space having a socket within itsboundaries and provided with a character designating a particular groupcenter, a tag for each space adapted to cover the same and of a colorcontrasting to that of the space it covers, a pin permanently secured atone end to said tags and having its opposite end pointed, whereby saidpin is adapted to be inserted and held detachably in the socket in thecolored spaces, and also to be removed therefrom and the pointed enddriven into the side of a car, substantially as set forth.

3. Anindicatorforfreight-carsystems comprising a board or tablet dividedby intersecting lines into rectangular spaces, each space having asocket at its upper central portion, and provided with a characterdesignating a particular group center, a metallic tag for each spaceadapted to cover the same, said tag having an opening in its uppercentral portion and an open slot or notch in the center of its upperedge, and being of a color contrasting with that of the space andprovided on its faces with a character corresponding with the characteron the space it covers, a pin provided with an eye at one end whichpasses through the opening in upper central portion of the tag and alsorests in the open slot or notch in the edge of said tag and pointed atits other end, said pin adapted to be fitted in the socket in theboardspaces, and to be removed therefrom and driven into the side of acar, substantially as set forth.

4. A tag device for the'purposes specified for attachment to cars andgroup-center indicator-boards, the same comprising a solid body portionhaving on both faces thereof a designating character corresponding to acharacter on the indicator-board, and provided with an aperture at itsupper central portion and an open slot or notch at the center of itsupper edge, a pin provided with an eye at one end, one side of said eyepassing through the aperture and the other side of the eye resting inthe open slot or notch in the upper edge of the tag, said pin pointed atits other end, said eye serving as a means whereby the pin may be driveninto the side of a car, and removed therefrom.

EDWARD B. JOHNS. Witnesses: J. W. WENAS, W. T. HUGGINS.

